Communication system, communication terminal, and computer program product

Abstract

A plurality of communication terminals communicate via a communication line in a communication system. The communication system includes: a diagnosis unit configured to diagnose a state of a device built in the communication terminal or a device connected to the communication terminal; a management unit configured to manage diagnosis result data for each of the communication terminals; a determination unit configured to determine a usage of the communication terminal based on diagnosis result data of the communication terminal; and a display processing unit configured to perform a process of displaying, on a display unit, information based on the usage determined by the determination unit together with the diagnosed state of the device of the communication terminal.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A communication system in which a plurality of communication terminals communicate via a communication line, the communication system comprising:
 circuitry configured to 
 diagnose a state of a device built in a communication terminal of the plurality of communication terminals or a device connected to the communication terminal, 
 manage diagnosis result data for each of the plurality of communication terminals, 
 determine an available function of the communication terminal based on the diagnosis result data of the device, 
 display the availability information of one or more uses of the communication terminal together with the diagnosed state of the device of the communication terminal, 
 detect an unconnected external device in the communication terminal in accordance with the diagnosis result data and based on a type of external device preset as connectable to the communication terminal, 
 determine a usage that becomes practicable by connecting the unconnected external device detected, and 
 display information based on the usage determined to be practicable. 
 
     
     
       2. The communication system according to claim wherein
 the plurality of communication terminals include at least a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal to be a communication partner of the first communication terminal, and 
 the circuitry identifies a use of the first communication terminal that is practicable by an available device included in the first communication terminal as well as identifies a use of the second communication terminal that is practicable by an available device included in the second communication terminal, and determines the practicable usage from a combination of the respective practicable uses of the first and second communication terminals. 
 
     
     
       3. The communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
 create, based on a diagnosis result, the diagnosis result data where, upon at least one of the devices having the same type of function being available, the function is set as available, and where, upon all of the devices having the same type of function being not available, the function is set as not available, wherein 
 the plurality of communication terminals includes at least a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal to be a communication partner of the first communication terminal, and 
 circuitry identifies a use of the first communication terminal that is practicable by an available function of the first communication terminal as well as identifies a use of the second communication terminal that is practicable by an available function of the second communication terminal, and determines the practicable usage from a combination of the respective practicable uses of the first and second communication terminals. 
 
     
     
       4. The communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
 generate an announcement message indicative of the availability list of every communication terminal within the communication system; and 
 transmit the announcement message to one or more communication terminal within the communication system. 
 
     
     
       5. The communication system according to  claim 4 , wherein the announcement further includes information on a service suspension schedule. 
     
     
       6. The communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein when a first device within the communication terminal is determined to be unavailable, a functionality of the communication terminal remains available if a second device, comparable to the first device, is determined to be available. 
     
     
       7. The communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine a shared practicable use between the communication terminal and a target terminal from among the plurality of communication terminals. 
     
     
       8. A communication terminal to be connected via a communication line to and communicate with a server configured to manage diagnosis result data for each of a plurality of communication terminals, the communication terminal comprising:
 circuitry configured to 
 diagnose a state of a device built in the communication terminal or a device connected to the communication terminal, 
 transmit, to the server, diagnosis result data, 
 receive the diagnosis result data of the communication terminal transmitted from the server, 
 determine an available function of the communication terminal based on the diagnosis result data of the device, 
 display the availability information of one or more uses of the communication terminal together with the diagnosed state of the device of the communication terminal, 
 detect an unconnected external device in the communication terminal in accordance with the diagnosis result data and based on a type of external device preset as connectable to the communication terminal, 
 determine a use that becomes practicable by connecting the unconnected external device detected, and 
 display information based on the use determined to be practicable. 
 
     
     
       9. The communication terminal according to  claim 8 , wherein
 upon commination via the communication line being impossible, the circuitry determines a usage that is practicable by the communication terminal alone based on the diagnosis result data, and 
 displays information based on the usage determined to be practicable by the communication terminal alone together with the diagnosed state of the device of the communication terminal. 
 
     
     
       10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer readable instruction thereon for processing information in a communication terminal, which is connected via a communication line to and communicates with a server configured to manage diagnosis result data for each of a plurality of communication terminals, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed by circuitry, cause the circuitry to perform a method comprising:
 diagnosing a state of a device built in the communication terminal or a device connected to the communication terminal; 
 transmitting diagnosis result data to the server via the communication line; 
 receiving the diagnosis result data of the communication terminal transmitted from the server; 
 determining an available function of the communication terminal based on the diagnosis result data of the device; 
 displaying the availability information of one or more uses of the communication terminal together with the diagnosed state of the device of the communication terminal; 
 detecting an unconnected external device in the communication terminal in accordance with the diagnosis result data and based on a type of external device preset as connectable to the communication terminal; 
 determining a use that becomes practicable by connecting the unconnected external device detected; and 
 displaying information based on the use determined to be practicable.